Glass tubes and methods of making a substantially rectangular glass cover member

A method of making a substantially rectangular glass cover member for an electronic device having a display portion, the method comprising the steps of:

• (I) providing a gob of molten glass;
• (II) pressing a form into the gob to provide a glass parison with an interior area surrounded by an outer wall having a predetermined parison wall configuration;
• (III) mounting the glass parison within a mold cavity of a mold device;
• (IV) blow molding the glass parison to expand to follow an inner surface defining the mold cavity, wherein the predetermined parison wall configuration expands to form a glass tube with a plurality of substantially rectangular glass segments including respective edges that are integrally attached to one another at attachment locations, wherein the plurality of substantially rectangular glass segments are radially arranged about the axis of the glass tube to define an outer periphery of the glass tube;
• and
• (V) separating the plurality of substantially rectangular glass segments from one another at the attachment locations to provide a plurality of substantially rectangular glass cover members, each of which has a substantially planar surface which is disposed over the display portion of an electronic device
• wherein the inner surface defining the mold cavity is provided by an air bearing configured to inhibit contact of the outer surface of the glass parison with the inner surface during step (IV).